Harper seeks planning rules relaxation for defibrillators

> SNP MSP for the South of Scotland Emma Harper is calling on the Scottish Government to relax planning rules governing the installation of Publicly Accessible Defibrillators (PADs) in Scotland to make it easier for communities to install the potentially life-saving equipment.
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> At present PADs are not covered by permitted development rights, which means that the installation of a PAD may require planning permission depending on the circumstances, location and type of building. However, if permitted development rights were to be extended to include PADs this would remove the need to seek planning permission.
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> Emma said:
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> “Increasing the number of Publicly Accessible Defibrillators is an important measure in improving how we deal with out of hospital cardiac arrests effectively. While they will not be effective in every situation, defibrillators can make a massive difference and be literally lifesaving, and they are simple and easy to use.
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> “Many communities will have been able to install PADs without needing planning permission at all, but I have been contacted by others who found that their preferred location was considered to require planning permission because it changed the appearance of the building.
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> “It is important to protect the built environment from inappropriate development and certainly outdoors PAD cabinets have to be brightly coloured so that people know they are there, but I do not think that anyone could object to more defibrillators being available, particularly in our remoter communities.
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> “The Scottish Government is reviewing the planning system and permitted development rights at the moment so I have asked for the issue of Public Access Defibrillators to be included with a view to making it simpler and easier for communities to install a PAD in their preferred location without having to worry about planning permission.”
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